|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: 1ST ROUND POOL CMarch 11, 2017Adrian SanchezDonovan SolanoMiami, Florida Colombia - 4, Canada - 1 Q. I wanted to ask you about, you are playing here in Miami, Donovan. I know you played here, you know the fans, in Colombia yesterday it seemed like the home club, and today we also see the support of the people for you has been constant. What message can you send to the Colombian people who are here and were there with that continuous support here in the World Classic? DONOVAN SOLANO: Good afternoon. Very happy for all the fans and all the people who have supported us. I think that personally I can speak for the rest, we have dreamed of this to represent our country, and in the same way as soccer players there are watched and people are united regardless of the sport. You see the Colombian national team play soccer play elimination games for the World Cup, I think it's a dream for us to represent our country, and for Colombians to follow us and to support us both in Colombia and here. Yesterday we felt at home, as you said, so, I thank God for this opportunity He gave us for this opportunity as Colombians. So imagine, I'm very happy for everything that is happening. Q. Donovan, the big day will come to face the current champion, and the opportunity to classify. You won in the winter league with los Tigres de Licey, the biggest team in the Dominican Republic. Does that motivate you to face the DR? What do you think of the Dominican Republic team? DONOVAN SOLANO: Well, yes, it's no secret of the Dominican potential, and that encourages us and it encourages me to give more than 100% and to play with a whole heart. We know that it will not be easy, but we continue to believe in what God has told us, and where by if He opens the door for us for big things, and we continue to have the same fate and hope and looking forward to San Diego. We know that we want to pass on, we have the conviction and the fate that God can make that possible and that's what it is about. Tomorrow we will come out to play and to focus and to give 100% of us, regardless of who is playing. I know that we will all enjoy that game against the Dominican Republic tomorrow. Q. You have a lot of history, your brother has a lot of history in Marlins Park going back to 2012, when you guys were on opposite sides and your parents were here that day, and then of course you were both on the Marlins for a while in 2015. What does it mean for you guys to share in this victory, be a big part of this victory in this ballpark? And also were your parents here today? DONOVAN SOLANO: You know, everything is prepared for by God. I think that we believe He prepares everything for how everything happens in our life. So I'm really happy, thankful for what's going on in our life and our country and what's happening in our career. So I don't have the word for this to describe how special or how everything about God give us for everything to happen now. So I'm so excited and to be here again in Marlins Park, so I really enjoy what happened today and yesterday. Q. Either of you can answer this question: Where is the success the team is having of hitting with men on base coming from? You seem to be responding well to that pressure. Could you tell us about the environment after this triumph. ADRIAN SANCHEZ: Okay, good afternoon. Well, yes, we have a quite solid lineup. Everyone in the lineup is focused on the game plan, and that's the most important in this tournament, which is quite short. We don't know a lot about the pitching of the other teams, but we have been focused. The environment is good. We're having a good time and that's the most important thing in these games. Q. This question can be answered by either of you: With the absence of Dilson, to talk about him, and that you are here and that you also did a good job playing second base, playing next to Donovan. If you are not here due to an injury or whatever, who could be a replacement in the infield if you are not there or Donovan, who else could be there? ADRIAN SANCHEZ: Well, unfortunately, not all of us -- Dilson is a great part of the team that could not be here, but we are supporting him. And I've been talking with Donovan. We've known each for a long time. We understand each other on the field. I've been playing second base for a shorter time. I feel good at second base. We talked quite a bit. We have good gloves on defense. Like Charlie Mirabal, he's quite a good middle infielder, and that's a characteristic of us Colombians, good defense. We have a good infield, so by playing good defense, we will have close games such as today. Q. Especially for Donovan and Adrian, the spirituality, the family environment, to have your families with you has helped this good time that Colombia is experiencing regardless of tomorrow? DONOVAN SOLANO: This has been big for us to be able to share this Classic for Colombia. There are players that have not been in the Big Leagues, in a Major League stadium and being at that hotel where we are staying, and this has motivated us to give from your heart and we enjoy this, and we are like a family. Many of us here, we have been playing since childhood, so we all know each other. I also played with him from before. We understand each other, and you see that roster, you can see that we are a family because we have been playing together for many years. So, sharing together on the field and sharing with your family when we are outside, we feel grateful and very happy that God gave us this total blessing. So, we are here giving 100% of us, first for God, then for Colombia, and then for our families. Q. Donovan, you mentioned at the beginning about a promise that God made to you, some special thing, you received a prophecy. Talk to us about that. DONOVAN SOLANO: Well, I think that the things God does, everything has been prepared already. So this year God told us that it was the year of the biggest conquest that we're going to have and we believed it. And it started at the beginning of the year. I had never played a baseball game such as like playing in the Dominican Republic with Licey, especially against las Aguilas, an old rival there. It started there, and God told us that it would not be that we were going to lose the opportunity to be in the Classic, of being able to have His power and presence could be noticed. So we are here, believing in God, and that He has big things in store for Colombia, and we believe Him and are taking advantage of that blessing, and we are improving, we are doing it spiritually, giving 100% of us on the field and in the end He'll decide who will have the victory. We have a lot of faith. A lot of faith. We were placed in this group, if you see that roster, we were placed down at the bottom, and God showed that from the lowest people He chooses, and we are very grateful to God for everything that is happening to Colombia now. Q. Donovan, I haven't seen you as a leadoff batter since I met you with the Caimanes de Barranquilla, or in the Major Leagues you have been in other positions in the batting order. Did you feel comfortable in that role? DONOVAN SOLANO: Hitting leadoff you have to see a lot of pitches, and you have your tricks -- I understand what you're saying but in reality you have to take your turn at bat as if it was any other. You have to try to get your pitch, even if you're not hitting leadoff. Well, it was sent to us by God, and He gave the wisdom a Pipe to place us in the lineup. So I'll do everything possible to help Colombia as the first batter or as the last batter, whatever. I will try to get on base or if I can drive in runs, I will try to do that. I can tell you that I felt comfortable because I did not think that this way of wanting to go to first base, but I didn't think of hitting leadoff as being a specialist. I thank God, and everything we are focusing on is to earn our victory and to have runs, and I'll be thinking of that. And tomorrow I'll try to help my team as much as possible to try to get on base. Q. Adrian, you have Colombian parents but you were born in Venezuela. What does it mean to you, all these moments that are going through with the country of your parents? And Donovan, tell us about what was more impactful, When you debuted the same day as your brother or today? ADRIAN SANCHEZ: For me it's a lot of pride to represent Colombia, because of my father, who is from Santander. I was surprised by the number of Colombians that came to the park. I've been living three years in Barranquilla and I have felt the Colombian warmth. I think we were ready for many things and today was a historic day for Colombia. It is really an honor. It's an honor, a pride to wear the jersey of the Colombian team. I feel as part of a family and the manager has made us feel at home, they give him that trust to feel at home, and I'm grateful for that. We hope to continue getting ahead for many more years as part of the Colombian team. DONOVAN SOLANO: To try to differentiate which time is best, it is difficult. Each blessing from God has special touches. So, God has blessed us greatly at the family level and the level of the baseball level, as brothers since playing for los Caimanes in Colombia, to when we played together here in Miami. When we played against each other, when we debuted at the same stadium in Miami and today we were able -- well, since yesterday we were able to represent Colombia in the first World Baseball Classic, first as brothers, and everything came from God, and I think all the blessings have that special place in our hearts. And to share with my brother the field and to be so united as we have been also outside the game, it's something that I cannot describe, and it's something that is special that God has given us. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|